Daniel Inouye on Principles & Values

Democratic Sr Senator (HI)

Voted with Democratic Party 96.9% of 293 votes.

Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI), was scored by the Washington Post on the percentage of votes on which a lawmaker agrees with the position taken by a majority of his or her party members. The scores do not include missed votes.
Their summary:Voted with Democratic Party 96.9% of 293 votes.Overall, Democrats voted with their party 88.4% of the time, and Republicans voted with their party 81.7% of the time (votes Jan. 8 through Sept. 8, 2007).

Source: Washington Post, “US Congress Votes Database”
, Sep 8, 2007

Enlisted in Army after designation as "enemy alien"

Young Inouye was enrolled in a Red Cross first-aid training program [during the Pearl Harbor attack], so he went directly to the harbor and began helping with the hundreds of casualties; he stayed on duty for 7 days. In effect he was in the war from the
opening moments.

In March 1942, the US military repaid Inouye be declaring that all young men of Japanese ancestry would be designated 4-C, which meant "enemy alien," unfit for service. Inouye says, "That really hit me. I considered myself patriotic,
and to be told you could not put on a uniform, that was an insult. Thousands of us signed petitions, asking to be able to enlist."

The Army decided to form an all-Japanese American unit, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Inouye and his buddies went
into combat with the 5th Army in Italy. They were out to prove something. "I felt that there was a need for us to demonstrate that we were just as good as anybody else," he says. "The price was bloody and expensive, but I felt we succeeded."

Wounded in Italy in WWII; lost an arm

In the Po Valley, Lieutenant Inouye was leading an assault against heavily fortified German positions in the mountains when he was hit by a bullet that went through his abdomen and exited his back, barely missing his spine. He continued to charge,
gravely wounded, making a one-man assault on a machine gun nest that had his men pinned down. He threw two grenades before the Germans hit him with a rifle-launched grenade. His right arm was shattered.
He pried a third grenade from his right hand and threw it with his left. He continued to fire with his automatic weapon, covering the withdrawal of his men. Finally, he was knocked out of action by another bullet in the leg but by then the
German position was neutralized. 25 Germans were dead, and Inouye took 8 as prisoners of war.

First Japanese in Congress; first Hawaii Representative

When Hawaii was admitted to the Union, Danny Inouye was a natural choice to become the state's first congressman, and he was elected overwhelmingly. It was an arresting moment in the well of the House of Representatives when Sam Rayburn, the larger than
life Speaker, intoned, "Raise your right hand and repeat after me...." Of course, the new congressman from Hawaii had no right hand. Danny Inouye raised his left and took the oath of office, the first US representative from his state and the first
Japanese American in Congress. As another congressman said later, "At that moment, a ton of prejudice slipped quietly to the floor of the House of Representatives."

After just one term in the House, Inouye was elected to the Senate in
1962, and he's been successfully reelected 6 times. He's highly regarded on both sides of the aisle for his middle of the road Democratic party principles and his measured, almost stately style.

Voted YES on confirming of Sonia Sotomayor to Supreme Court.

Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee kicked off the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. In her opening statement, Judge Sotomayor pledged a "fidelity to the law:"

"In the past month, many Senators have asked me about my judicial philosophy. It is simple: fidelity to the law. The task of a judge is not to make the law--it is to apply the law. And it is clear, I believe, that my record in two courts reflects my rigorous commitment to interpreting the Constitution according to its terms; interpreting statutes according to their terms and Congress's intent; and hewing faithfully to precedents established by the Supreme Court and my Circuit Court. In each case I have heard, I have applied the law to the facts at hand."

Religious affiliation: Methodist.

Inouye : religious affiliation:

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Member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus .

Inouye is a member the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus:

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), founded in May 16, 1994, by former Congressman Norman Mineta, is comprised of a formal group of Members of Congress (House and Senate) who have strong interests in promoting Asian Pacific American (APA) issues and advocating the concerns of APAs.

The goals of the Caucus are:

To establish policies and issue policy statements on legislation and issues relating to persons of Asian and/or Pacific Islands ancestry who are citizens or nationals of, residents of, or immigrants to, the United States, its territories and possessions;

To ensure that legislation passed by the United States Congress, to the greatest extent possible, provides for the full participation of Asian Pacific Americans and reflects the concerns and needs of the Asian Pacific American communities;

To educate other Members of the Congress about the history, contributions and concerns of Asian Pacific Americans;

To work with other Members and Caucuses of the Congress to protect and advance the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans; and

To provide a formal structure to coordinate the efforts, and enhance the ability, of the Asian Pacific American Members of Congress to accomplish those goals.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
AU is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans.

Americans United is a national organization with members in all 50 states. We are headquartered in Washington, D.C., and led by the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director. AU has more than 75,000 members from all over the country. They include people from all walks of life and from various faith communities, as well as those who profess no particular faith. We are funded by donations from our members and others who support church-state separation. We do not seek, nor would we accept, government funding.

Fund the 50 States Commemorative Coin Program.

Inouye co-sponsored the 50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act

Mandates redesign of quarter-dollar coins issued during the ten-year period beginning 1999, with the reverse side emblematic of five of the 50 States each year during such period, selected in the order of their ratification of the U.S. Constitution or their admission to the Union.

Mandates that the dollar coin shall be golden in color, have a distinctive edge, with tactile and visual features making it readily discernible.

Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to place into circulation $1 coins that comply with such mandate upon depletion of the Government's supply of $1 coins bearing the likeness of Susan B. Anthony.